1. Field
The present disclosure relates to a material for a solid oxide fuel cell, a cathode including the material, and a solid oxide fuel cell including the material.
2. Description of the Related Art
Solid oxide fuel cells (“SOFCs”) are an environmentally friendly and highly efficient electrochemical power generation technology that directly converts chemical energy of a fuel gas into electrical energy. SOFCs use relatively inexpensive materials compared to other types of fuel cells, have a relatively high tolerance to fuel impurities, provide hybrid power generation capability, and have high efficiency. In addition, in SOFCs, direct use of hydrocarbon fuels is possible without reforming the fuel into hydrogen. This direct use of hydrocarbon fuels may lead to simplification of a fuel cell system and low manufacturing costs. A SOFC includes an anode at which a fuel, such as hydrogen or hydrocarbon, is oxidized, a cathode at which oxygen gas is reduced to oxygen ions (O2−), and a ceramic solid electrolyte for conducting the oxygen ions.
Because SOFCs are operated at a temperature of 800 to 1,000° C., high-temperature alloys or expensive ceramic materials, which are capable of enduring high temperature conditions, are desirably used. SOFCs have a long initial driving time, and when they are operated for a long time, durability thereof may be degraded. In addition, SOFCs have high manufacturing costs, which is a significant obstacle for commercialization.
Thus, it would be desirable to reduce the operating temperature of SOFCs to 800° C. or lower. However, a decrease in the operating temperature may result in a significant increase in electrical resistance of a cathode material of the SOFC, ultimately resulting in a reduction of SOFC power density. As described above, because a decrease in the operating temperature of an SOFC is dependent upon the magnitude of cathode resistance, much worldwide effort is being made to reduce cathode resistance.